emperor penguin | bird | Britannica.com Emperor penguin king penguin Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), largest member of the penguin order (Sphenisciformes), which is known for its stately demeanor and black-and-white coloration. The species gathers together into approximately 40 colonies that settle on ice shelves and landfast ice along the coastline of Antarctica . Emperor penguins are capable of diving to depths of approximately 550 metres (1,800 feet) in search of food; they are the world’s deepest-diving birds . Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri). © Corbis Physical features Adults are coloured black and white with areas of orange and yellow on the head, neck, and breast. Some members of this species may grow to approximately 130 cm (about 50 inches) long and weigh 25 to 45 kg (55 to 100 pounds). Juveniles are smaller, and their plumage is similar to that of the adults, with pale white to light gray feathers in place of those coloured orange and yellow. The downy feathers on the bodies of chicks are silver-gray.

Although the feathers that surround the eyes are coloured white, those that cover the rest of the head are black. The emperor penguin closely resembles the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), a species of smaller stature that lives on several outlying Antarctic islands. Two adult emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) and their hatchling. Daisy Gilardini—The Image Bank/Getty Images Predators and prey Adept divers that can remain underwater for nearly 22 minutes, emperor penguins capture krill , fish , and squid that congregate under or near the edges of ice shelves. In addition, their endurance is such that some individuals have reached the South Shetland Islands , Tierra del Fuego , the Falkland Islands , the South Sandwich Islands , the Kerguelen Islands , Heard Island, and New Zealand . The species is prey for killer whales (Orcinus orca), leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx), and giant fulmars (Macronectes giganteus). Reproduction Emperor penguins breed in large colonies. Breeding occurs in late March and early April when males and females return from foraging in the sea.

Some 15 percent of adults are capable of finding their mate from the previous year despite the absence of a nest and the tremendous size of the colony. Man photographing a large group of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) on an Antarctic … © Photos.com/Jupiterimages king penguin Breeding is apparently timed to ensure that the long developmental period will produce fully fledged young in midsummer, when their chances of survival are greatest. Consequently, a single egg is laid in late May or early June just before the onset of the Antarctic winter. Incubation is done exclusively by the male, and it is begun immediately after egg laying. In the meantime, the female embarks on a journey of some 80 to 160 km (50 to 100 miles) from the colony to the sea, and she does not return until the incubation period concludes. Incubation lasts 60–68 days through gale-force winds and extremely cold temperatures that routinely dip below –50 °C (–58 °F). With no access to food, the male lives off his fat reserves.

He holds the egg on the tops of his feet, draping a layer of skin over the egg to protect it from the harsh conditions. During violent winter storms, members of the colony gather for mutual protection in tightly packed crowds called huddles. The chicks hatch in August , and the females return to the colony to relieve the males. Each chick stands on the feet of one of its parents until it is strong enough to withstand the cold of the Antarctic ice on its own. The cold, however, is not the only threat to the newly hatched young. The number of “unemployed” adults in the colony increases with the addition of those who have lost eggs or chicks, and such birds have been known to interfere with parents that have young and cause increased chick mortality. Ultimate Animals Quiz During the crèche stage, in which many young emperor penguins form groups for protection against the cold and predators, the fuzzy down covering is replaced by a coat of short stiff feathers, which are similar in composition to those of the adult but are usually somewhat different in colour. Once this molt is complete, the juvenile penguin leaves the colony to seek its own food at sea.

Juveniles become fully fledged in December and January during their first year of life; they will return to the colony to breed starting in their fifth year. Emperor penguins may live 20 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity. Conservation status Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Despite the emperor penguin being considered a species of least concern since 1988 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), ecologists have recorded population declines in some emperor penguin colonies. The largest population decline (50 percent) was observed between 1950 and 2000 in a colony located in the Terre Adélie region in East Antarctica. Many ecologists attribute these population decreases to climatic changes associated with global warming . The species spends nearly all of its time on or near the permanent ice pack so it can be close to its prey, which also depends on sea ice coverage. The ice shelves also serve as breeding grounds and nurseries.

With the breakup of large areas of sea ice, such as the loss of 60 percent of the Larsen Ice Shelf between 1995 and 2002 and the partial collapse of the Wilkins Ice Shelf in 2008, habitat has declined. As a result, fewer young are produced, and those that survive have higher rates of mortality. Even though the species numbers in the hundreds of thousands, some scientific models predict drastic population declines in emperor penguin colonies along the Antarctic Peninsula as sea ice coverage continues to decline. Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) in Antarctica. © Bernard Breton/Fotolia Penguin Facts: Species & Habitat Penguin Facts: Species & Habitat By Alina Bradford, Live Science Contributor | September 22, 2014 04:30pm ET MORE Credit: Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR Penguins are torpedo-shaped, flightless birds that live in the southern regions of the Earth. Though many people imagine a small, black-and-white animal when they think of penguins, these birds actually come in a variety of sizes, and some are very colorful. For example, crested penguins sport a crown of yellow feathers.

Blushes of orange and yellow mark the necks of emperor and king penguins. What look like bright yellow, bushy eyebrows adorn the heads of some species, such as the Fiordland, royal, Snares and rockhopper penguins. The macaroni penguin's name comes from the crest of yellow feathers on its head, which looks like the 18th-century hats of the same name. A light yellow mask covers the face of the yellow-eyed penguin around the eyes. An Adélie penguin on Penguin Island, which forms part of the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. Credit: Gemma Clucas According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), there are 19 species of penguin. (Some experts, however, say the eastern rockhopper is a subspecies of the southern rockhopper.) [ Gallery: Photos of 18 Penguin Species ] The smallest penguin species is the little (also called little blue) penguin. These birds grow to 10 to 12 inches (25.4 to 30.48 centimeters) tall and weigh only 2 to 3 lbs. (0.90 to 1.36 kilograms).

The largest penguin is the emperor penguin. It grows to 36 to 44 inches (91.44 to 111.76 cm) tall and weighs 60 to 90 lbs (27.21 to 40.82 kg). Where do penguins live? Considered marine birds, penguins live up to 80 percent of their lives in the ocean, according to the New England Aquarium . All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, though it is a common myth that they all live in Antarctica. In fact, penguins can be found on every continent in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also a myth that penguins can only live in cold climates. The Galapagos penguin, for example, lives on tropical islands at the equator. What do penguins eat? Penguins are carnivores; they eat only meat. Their diet includes krill (tiny crustaceans), squid and fish. Some species of penguin can make a large dent in an area's food supply.

For example, the breeding population of Adélie penguins (about 2,370,000 pairs) can consume up to 1.5 million metric tons (1.5 billion kg) of krill, 115,000 metric tons (115 million kg) of fish and 3,500 metric tons (3.5 million kg) of squid each year, according to Sea World . The yellow-eyed penguin is very tenacious when foraging for food. It will dive as deep as 120 meters (393.70 feet) up to 200 times a day looking for fish, according to the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust . Mating & baby penguins A group of penguins is called a colony, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. During breeding season, penguins come ashore to form huge colonies called rookeries, according to Sea World. Most penguins are monogamous. This means that male and female pairs will mate exclusively with each other for the duration of mating season. In many cases, the male and female will continue to mate with each other for most of their lives.

For example, research has found that chinstrap penguins re-paired with the same partner 82 percent of the time and gentoo penguins re-paired 90 percent of the time. At around three to eight years old, a penguin is mature enough to mate. Most species breed during the spring and summer. The male usually starts the mating ritual and will pick out a nice nesting site before he approaches a female. After mating, the female emperor or king penguin will lay a single egg. All other species of penguins lay two eggs. The two parents will take turns holding the eggs between their legs for warmth in a nest. The one exception is the emperor penguin . The female of this species will place the egg on the male's feet to keep warm in his fat folds while she goes out and hunts for several weeks. When penguin chicks are ready to hatch, they use their beaks to break through the shell of their eggs. This process can take up to three days. After the chicks emerge, the parents will take turns feeding their offspring with regurgitated food. Penguin parents can identify their offspring by unique calls that the chick will make. Emperor penguins may migrate to find new nesting grounds.

Credit: Michelle LaRue Little Penguin | Zoos Victoria Little Penguin Our Wild Sea precint allows penguins to show-off their aquatic skills, with extensive underwater viewing. The penguin family are the best swimmers and divers of all the world’s birds and Melbourne Zoo’s Wild Sea development showcases their aquatic skills, with extensive underwater viewing in a deep pool with adjustable water jets to mimic the ocean’s changing currents. Australian Little Penguins are not a species presently at risk. However, many individual birds are at risk from fishing waste: hooks, fishing line and nets abandoned in areas where these and other marine wildlife live. Your local council or community can play a big part in protecting marine wildlife by installing Seal the Loop bins to collect fishing waste and help reduce rates of marine wildlife entanglement. Melbourne Zoo is a successful breeder of Australian Little Penguins, sending some to other zoos, interstate and overseas, to support breeding programs for these fascinating flightless birds. Meeting the penguins at Melbourne Zoo is an important way to connect with the animals of Australia, and to learn about the Zoo’s conservation programs, especially those aimed at conserving threatened native species. The money you spend helps to support the Zoo’s conservation programs.

Victoria’s native penguin species are the smallest of the world’s penguins, which are all found in the Southern Hemisphere. They grow to 30cm in height and weigh only 1 to 1.5kg, in contrast with their largest cousins, the Emperor Penguins, which stand up to 100cm tall and weigh up to 40kg. Australian Little Penguins live along Victoria’s coast, up the coast of NSW to just north of Sydney, and west into South Australia. The major breeding colony is at Phillip Island. Australian Little Penguins may lay either one or two eggs. In the wild, they are sometimes unable to raise both chicks, although both parents catch fish to regurgitate for their chicks. The penguin group at the Zoo is made up of 20 birds. Fourteen were born at the Zoo, three arrived with injuries and could not be fully rehabilitated, and four came from other zoos (Taronga Zoo, Sydney Aquarium and Featherdale Wildlife Park). There are 13 males and seven females. News Emperor penguin Emperor penguins are the largest of all penguins.

NATURAL HISTORY EMPEROR PENGUIN } Aptenodytes forsteri FAMILY: Spheniscidae DESCRIPTION: The largest of the world’s penguin species, the emperor penguin stands almost four feet tall and weighs 70 to 90 pounds. It has a gray back, white belly, and orange markings behind its eyes and at the top of its chest. HABITAT: This penguin is the most ice-adapted of any penguin species, inhabiting pack ice and surrounding marine areas. RANGE: The emperor penguin ranges throughout coastal Antarctica and may be seen up to 56 miles inland during the breeding season. Range Map MIGRATION: Emperor penguins make yearly travels inland to breeding sites in the early spring. Near the beginning of summer, adult penguins and their chicks return to the sea and spend the rest of the summer feeding there. BREEDING: Emperor penguins begin courtship in March or April and are serially monogamous, typically taking one mate per year.

The female lays one egg in May or June, transfers the egg to the male, and returns to sea to feed while the male incubates the egg in his brood pouch for about 65 days. After the chick hatches, the male sets the chick on his feet and covers it with his pouch, feeding it a white, milky substance produced by a gland in his esophagus. When the female returns from feeding, the male departs the breeding site to take his turn feeding. A few weeks later, he returns and both parents tend the chick by feeding it regurgitated food and keeping it off the ice. Offspring mortality may result from a variety of causes, including dropping the egg during the initial transfer from female to male, insufficient prey availability, and extreme weather. LIFE CYCLE: The emperor penguin typically lives 15 to 20 years in the wild, but some records indicate a maximum lifespan of 40 years. FEEDING: Emperor penguins primarily eat crustaceans such as krill, but they will also occasionally take small fish and squid.

THREATS: Emperor penguins are seriously threatened by global warming, which causes profound changes in the Antarctic ecosystem and impacts them in diverse ways, such as reducing populations of prey species and causing ice shelves to collapse and icebergs to calve. These penguins are also threatened by industrial fisheries, which further reduce prey availability, and human disturbance at breeding colonies. POPULATION TREND: This species has a large global population; therefore, while global population trends have not been quantified, populations generally appear to be stable. However, the emperor colony at Pointe Geologie has declined 70 percent since the 1960s, largely due to warming waters and changing currents resulting in reduced abundance of prey. Photo by Michael Van Woert, NOAA FUN FACTS 1. Emperor penguins walk slowly and do not hop. The maximum walking speed for emperors is 2.8 kph (1.7mph). Emperor penguins are also known to toboggan - sliding across ice on their bellies. 2. Emperor penguins have been observed swimming 14.4 kph (8.9 mph), though they normally do not exceed 10.8 kph (6.7 mph). 3.

Emperor penguins breed annually during the Antarctic winter, June through August. During this time, air temperature may drop to -60°C (-76°F) and winds may reach up to 200 kph (124 mph). 4. Emperor penguins do not build nests. The male penguin stands upright and incubates a single egg on top of its feet under a loose fold of abdominal skin called a brood patch. The male fasts throughout the courtship, nesting, and incubation period. He lives off reserves of body fat which may be 3-4 cm (1.2 - 1.6 in.) thick, and loses up to 45% of his body weight. After the female transfers the egg, she goes to sea to feed while the male is incubating. She returns just before the egg is ready to hatch to relieve her mate. If the egg hatches before the female returns, the male is able to produce and secrete a curdlike substance from his esophagus to feed the chick. 5. In 1980, a tiny emperor penguin made international zoological history.

The chick was the first to be hatched and raised by its parents inside the Penguin Encounter at SeaWorld San Diego, then the world's only successful emperor penguin breeding facility outside of Antarctica. And in 1982, the first hand-raised emperor penguin hatched. Since then, more than 20 emperor penguins have been hatched and raised at SeaWorld San Diego. 6. For more information about penguins, explore the PENGUIN INFOBOOK . ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION All 18 species of penguin are legally protected from hunting and egg collecting. The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 makes it illegal to harm, or in any way interfere with, a penguin or its eggs. Every penguin specimen collected with a permit must be approved by and reported to the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR). Penguins are vulnerable to habitat destruction, overfishing of primary food sources, ecological disasters such as oil spills, pollution such as trash in the ocean, and human encroachment into nesting areas. BIBLIOGRAPHY Coats, Judith. Penguins: Flightless Birds of the Southern Hemisphere. SeaWorld Education Department, 2001.

Nuzzolo, Debbie. Penguin March. SeaWorld Education Department, 2002. 1. – Penguins – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand Penguins of the New Zealand region New Zealand is the penguin capital of the world. Of the 19 species of living penguins, nine breed in New Zealand or its territories, including the Ross Sea sector of Antarctica, and another six are visitors. New Zealand is home to the greatest diversity of penguins, and has more fossil species than any other region. The first and the oldest fossil penguins were found in New Zealand. Flightlessness Penguins belong to an exclusive family of birds called Spheniscidae. While many groups of waterbirds include one or two flightless species, penguins are the only group in which all members are flightless. This universal loss of flight suggests that, whatever evolutionary event drove the ancestors of penguins to give up flying, the transition to swimming and diving has been enormously successful. Flying versus diving While both flying birds and diving birds are streamlined to minimise the effects of drag in the air or water, the other demands on their bodies are contradictory. Flying birds need to be light, with sufficient wingspan to provide lift to counteract the effects of gravity.

In contrast, a diver needs to be dense to offset the buoyancy of water and, for propulsion, the wings need to be short and powerful to move through the denser medium. During the Late Paleocene–Early Eocene period, 50–60 million years ago, the southern seas were temperate to subtropical and offered abundant food to a bird that could dive deep enough. Bigger size for deeper dives Successful diving is a function of body size: larger animals have larger oxygen stores and are able to dive deeper and for longer. To get to the deepest fish and squid, the ancestor of penguins needed to become larger. The point at which seabirds with some diving ability became flightless divers was probably when they reached a weight of about 1 kilogram. Beyond that, the contradictory requirements of flying and diving are mutually exclusive: the wingspan that will keep a large bird aloft is too big and fragile for efficient diving. Diverse sizes of divers Once free of the constraints of flying, penguins evolved rapidly into many different species (a process termed radiation by evolutionary biologists), with some becoming much larger.

The largest New Zealand fossil penguin ever found, Pachydyptes ponderosus, is estimated to have stood 1.4–1.6 metres tall. In contrast, the smallest known penguins, fossil and living, measure just 40 centimetres in length. This diversity suggests that trading flight for diving made it possible to exploit a range of marine environments, from deep Antarctic waters to subtropical surface and inshore waters. Of all modern penguins, the large emperor penguin performs the most astounding diving feats. Their regular dives are 100–200 metres deep and last around six minutes, but some have achieved dives of 22 minutes and depths of 565 metres. The dives of little penguins, on the other hand, are usually 10 or 20 metres and last 25 seconds, although depths of 60 metres have been recorded. Incredibly Cute Penguins [41 Photos] Incredibly Cute Penguins [41 Photos] Permalink For people who are animal penguin lovers, besides Tux lovers , here are the tuxedo-wearing waddlers that dwell primarily in Antarctica.

While penguins don’t fly, they can spend as much as 75% of their time at sea. All penguins give birth to their chicks on land or on sea ice. Because penguins so incredibly cute, they are often depicted on holiday ornaments and in happy animation movies. We love these penguin pics! [41 Photos] Share this: Gentoo penguin trying to keep balance – Antarctica. Photo #2 by ashminder.ubhi Here’s a sign you don’t see every day. The photographer explained, “In Oamaru, NZ there’s a colony of Blue Penguins that have made their home in a old quarry. It’s out on a headland a few miles from the centre of town. Every evening you can watch the penguins come ashore as the sun sets.” Photo #3 by fras1977 Twin Fairy little penguins, the Blue Penguin that was the inspiration for Linux mascot “Tux.” The the Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor) is the smallest penguin species; it’s also known as the Fairy Penguin and is only about 40 cm tall (16 in) and weighs about 1 kg (2.2 lb).

Photo #4 by M Kuhn Emperor Penguin underwater, swimming. Emperor are the largest of the 17 penguin species. They live their whole lives on Antarctic ice and in its waters. Photo #5 by chikache Puzzle Piece Closer, Gentoo penguins on an iceberg. Gentoo is the third largest species of penguin after the two giant species, the Emperor Penguin and the King Penguin. They “populate the Antarctic Peninsula and numerous islands around the frozen continent, are the penguin world’s third largest members, reaching a height of 30 inches (76 centimeters) and a weight of 12 pounds (5.5 kilograms).” Photo #6 by Chris Dent Jackass Penguins near the Cape of Good Hope. Photo #8 by rogiro “Penguin oasis.” Penguins are highly social, colonial birds; theyt form breeding colonies numbering in the tens of thousands. A wild penguin can live 15-20 years, depending on the species. Photo #9 by Peter Pawlowski Adele Penguins on an iceberg; they live in huge colonies in Antarctica.

Photo #10 by Nick Russill The photographer wrote, “These two penguins were petting and playing with each other as I approached, just as I looked through the view finder to frame a shot they both stopped and looked straight at me. I got really lucky with the timing, but I am starting to think photography is all about being in the right place at the right time 🙂 Or at least having lots of patience! Most Humboldt penguin pairs remain faithful to each other for years, rarely choosing new partners unless one of them dies, and they often return to the same site to breed year after year.” Photo #11 by Adam Foster Did you know a penguin’s eyes work better underwater than they do in the air? This gives them superior eyesight, even in cloudy, dark or murky water, to spot prey while hunting. Photo #12 by All the Best Desktop Wallpapers Loving Emperor penguin families. Right: Emperor Penguin Family on the Eckstroem Ice-shelf 70˚36′ S 8˚08’W.

Photo #13 by StormPetrel1 & #14 by StormPetrel1 & #15 by Anne Froehlich “Rockhopper penguins are small, aggressive, crested penguins so named because of the way they hop from boulder to boulder when moving around their rocky colonies. Rockhoppers are a sub-Antarctic species breeding at cool, southern localities such as Macquarie Island, the Falklands, Campbell Island, Tristan da Cunha, and the Antipodes,” The photographer added, “Rockhoppers have distinctive crest feathers on their heads, bright orange-red bills and tiny blood red eyes. The top of the head has spiked black feathers. Like all penguins, Rockhopper have a big head, a short, thick neck, a streamlined shape, a short, wedge-shaped tail, and strong, stiff, flipper-like wings.” Photo #16 by Farrukh “Antarctic tableau. Just another day in this magical place.” With the exception is the Galapagos penguin, most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, on Antarctica, New Zealand, and the southern tips of South America and Africa.

Photo #17 by ashokboghani King Penguins at West Falkland (left) & King penguin in Zurich, Switzerland. At 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), the King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin, second only to the Emperor Penguin. Photo #18 by Ben Tubby & #19 by Tambako the Jaguar Antarctica: Emperor penguins at Neko Harbor. Emperor penguins are unique in that the stereotypical male and female parenting roles are reversed. The male penguin incubates the eggs while the female goes out to feed. After the little chick hatches, the male penguin feeds it with milk that he produces in his esophagus. Their lifespan averages to “about 20 years in the wild, although observations suggest that some individuals may live to 50 years of age.” Photo #20 by Rita Willaert Adelie Penguin Dive on Paulet Island, Antarctica. At about nine weeks old, they lose their grayish-downy baby feathers and are instead “waterproof.” Photo #21 by Nick Russill Emperor penguins, Antarctica.

This is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species, reaching up to 48 inches (122 cm) and about 49 to 99 lbs (22 to 45 kg). “This penguin lives in the harshest weather of any animal on our planet. The female penguin lays one egg and the male penguin keeps it on top of its feet to keep it warm. They do not make a nest. Males can lose half their weight while keeping an egg warm because he does not eat. The males stand together in a big huddle for up to 9 weeks.” Photo #22 by StormPetrel1 Penguins on Boulders beach, South Africa. The African penguin is “also known as the Black-footed Penguin is a species of penguin, confined to southern African waters. It is also widely known as the ‘Jackass’ Penguin for its donkey-like bray, although several species of South American penguins produce the same sound.” Photo #23 by Francois de Halleux Penguins rushing to water in South Africa.

The African Penguin is found “on the south-western coast of Africa, living in colonies on 24 islands.” This has given those islands the nickname “Penguin Islands.” Photo #24 by Ozan Hatipoglu Meeting point for Emperor penguins chicks called crèche, the group in which adults leave them while they fish. The parents then return with food they regurgitate for their young. Photo #25 by StormPetrel1 Top: Antarctica. Bottom: King Emperor Penguins. Photo #26 by Barbara Avalos via Guillermo Avalos & #27 by Nick Russill “One of these things is not like the others, One of these things is not quite the same…” Photo #28 by Dave Morris Macquarie Island – Royal penguin rookery. “The island is home to the entire Royal Penguin population on earth during their annual nesting season.” It became a World Heritage Site in 1997. Photo #29 by M. Murphy “Gentoo penguin baby. Plus the other showing me ummm….something that he shouldn’t have been.” Photo #30 by ashminder.ubhi Royal Penguin colony close up. Hurd Pt., Macquarie I., Australia.

“ Since the end of penguin hunting on Macquarie the numbers have climbed to 850,000 pairs. Before hunting started, there were 3 million penguins on the island (both Royal and King)” Photo #31 by Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR Gentoo penguin. Southern Ocean, Drake’s Passage area. Photo #32 by Lieutenant Elizabeth Crapo, NOAA Corps “Ice penguins. Taken whilst visiting the Antarctic. It really was that blue!” Photo #33 by Graham Canny Life of Penguins: History of Penguins Welcome to my academic blog for E-Learning and learn more about penguins Sunday, 20 February 2011 History of Penguins Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their life on land and half in the oceans.

Among extant penguins, larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are generally found in temperate or even tropical climates. Some prehistoric species attained enormous sizes, becoming as tall or as heavy as an adult human. These were not restricted to Antarctic regions; on the contrary, subantarctic regions harbored high diversity, and at least one giant penguin occurred in a region not quite 2,000 km south of the equator 35 mya, in a climate decidedly warmer than today. There are 17 to 19 known species worldwide, depending on whether the two Eudyptula species are counted as distinct. Although all penguin species are native to the southern hemisphere, they are not, contrary to popular belief, found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. In fact, only a few species of penguin actually live so far south. Three species live in the tropics; one lives as far north as the Galpagos Islands (the Galapagos Penguin) and will occasionally cross the equator while feeding.

The largest species is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): adults average about 1.1 meters (3 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 35 kilograms (75 lb) or more. The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue Penguin (also known as the Fairy Penguin), which stands around 40 cm tall (16 in) and weighs 1 kilogram (2.2 lb). Generally larger penguins retain heat better, and thus inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are found in temperate or even tropical climates. The rarest type of penguin is the yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) and is probably the most ancient of all living penguins: adults average about 65 cm tall and weigh 5-6 kilograms. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend half of their life on land and half in the oceans. One of the most baffling forms of behavior of the penguin comes when a mother loses her chick, either due to its being unable to endure its first storm, or due to other reasons such as predators.

When a mother loses its chick, they have been known to actually attempt to steal another mother's living chick- presumably in order to deal with the grief of the loss. This behavior has amazed scientists, as it is an emotional outburst opposed to an instinctual behavior; something many wild animals do not exhibit when losing their young. Many have used this as prime evidence for decades that many animals have near human-like emotions and feelings, often for the sake of animal rights. Naturally, the other females in the penguin groups dislike this behavior and will help the defending mother keep her chick. This behavior, however, might be better explained as a means for the female, or the male, to retain the full cooperation of the other parent in rearing the young, given that the bonding is monogamous; most likely there are differences between males and females in regards to the likelihood of chick-robbing and between species in relation to whether the monogamy is seasonal or permanent. Penguins seem to have no fear of humans, and have approached groups of explorers without hesitation. The evolutionary history of penguins is poorly understood, as penguin fossils are rare.

The oldest known fossil penguin species are the Waimanu, which lived in the early Paleocene epoch of New Zealand, about 62 million years ago. While they were not as well adapted to aquatic life as modern penguins (which first emerged in the Eocene epoch 40 million years ago), Waimanu were flightless and loon-like, with short wings adapted for deep diving. These fossils prove that prehistoric penguins were already flightless and seagoing, so their origins probably reach as far back as 65 million years ago, before the extinction of the dinosaurs. Penguin ancestry beyond Waimanu is not well known, though some scientists (Mayr, 2005) think the penguin-like plotopterids (usually considered relatives of anhingas and cormorants) may actually be an early sister group of the penguins, and that penguins may have ultimately shared a common ancestor with the Pelecaniformes.

Posted by Emperor penguin pictures and facts Average Weight: 30kg - 66lb Average Height: 115cm - 3.8ft Breeding Season: April - December - Emperors breed in the depth of the Antarctic winter. The average temperature is around -20°C (-4°F) falling as low as -50°C (- 58°F) and with winds that gust up to 200km per hour (124mph). Reproduction: Emperor Penguins breed almost exclusively on sea-ice near to the coast of Antarctica, rarely on land, the breeding colonies can be up to 200 km from the open sea. Estimated world population: - 595,000, stable. Feeding: Eat mainly fish in Antarctica, also krill and squid which can be more important in some places. Conservation status: Near threatened.. Distributionn: Circumpolar, breed right up against the continent. Predators: Leopard seals and killer whales- main predators of adult birds. Skuas - prey on eggs and chicks. What are Emperor penguins like? Emperor penguins have the upright and regal bearing that their name suggests.

They take the dinner-jacketed formality of all penguins to its highest level and though they are able to be as awkward, gawky and get as dirty as other penguins, when they shake it all off and stand up to regain their dignity, there are few if any more stately and elegant animals on earth. Emperor penguins are the largest of penguin species with an average weight of around 30kg (66lb) but can be up to 40kg (88lb) and a height of approx. 1.15m (3.8ft). They have colourful feathers around their necks and heads, though are not quite as bright as king penguins which are almost as large. There is little or no possibility of confusing the two species however as their distribution around Antarctica is very different. While king penguins are a sub-Antarctic species, being based on islands dotted around the continent, emperor penguins are animals of the deep south. They are never found together. Emperor penguins have yellow ear patches that are "open" fading into the white of the breast feathers, whereas king penguins have orange ear patches that are "closed" by a band of black feathers.

Emperor penguin chicks have distinctive plumage with a large white face patch. Where do Emperor penguins live? All but 3 of about 40 known emperor penguin colonies are on winter fast ice that is frozen solid and attached to the land from autumn until it begins to break up in the spring (though some years it doesn't break up at all). They are found all around the coasts of the Antarctic continent. They breed during the depths of the Antarctic winter and in some of the most desolate, coldest, windiest and downright grim places on the planet during the season of 24 hour darkness. Some emperor penguins are the only birds that never set foot on land. The first breeding colony wasn't discovered until 1902 by Lt. Reginald Skelton on Scott's 1901-04 Discovery Expedition some 130 years after the birds had first been seen on Captain Cook's second voyage. New colonies were still being discovered as late as 2009. Nowadays satellite imagery is used to find breeding emperor penguin colonies in remote regions.

Early in the 20th century, Emperor penguins were thought to be some kind of evolutionary "missing link", something that scientists thought could be proven by observing the growth of the embryo at various stages. On Scott's 1910-1913 Terra Nova expedition a small group of expeditioners set out on a winter sledging journey led by Wilson, the biologist and including the young Apsley Cherry-Garrard, famously this gave rise to the acknowledged greatest of all Antarctic adventure and travel books " The Worst Journey in the World ". Emperor penguin diving adaptations Emperor penguins feed on fish, krill and squid which they catch on dives that are longer and deeper than any other penguin or bird species. They can dive to a depth of 1,800 feet (550 meters) and hold their breath for up to 22 minutes. This allows them to reach and exploit food resources that other birds can't reach. The diving adaptations and abilities of emperor penguins have been widely studied, they have been found to have: 1/ an increased ability to store oxygen in the body 2/ the ability to tolerate low levels of oxygen in the body 3/ the ability to tolerate the effects of pressure.

Emperor penguins tolerate low levels of oxygen during dives that would cause a human to pass out and they experience pressures so great that we would get the bends. Neither of these things seem to adversely affect penguins. Their diving physiology is studied at McMurdo Station at a place called penguin ranch 15 miles out in the sea ice where there is only a single hole in the ice, so the penguins must return there to leave the sea. A penguin's normal resting heart-beat is about 60-70 beats per minute (bpm), this goes up to 180-200 bpm before a dive as they load up with oxygen, then as they hit the water, the rate drops to 100 bpm immediately slowing to only 20 bpm during most of the dive so they use the stored oxygen in blood and muscles to the maximum effect. On returning to the surface again, the heart rate goes back to 200 bpm probably to pay back the "oxygen debt" they have incurred during the dive. What is unusual about the Emperor Penguins breeding cycle? Emperor penguins breed almost exclusively on sea ice and so are perhaps the only species of bird that never sets foot on land.

They begin their breeding cycle when other Antarctic penguins have finished theirs, at the end of April to May. Other smaller penguins at this time head north away from the encroaching winter while the Emperors head south into it. They seem to choose very dramatic sites, a large flat area where they can waddle when carrying their egg or chick on their feet surrounded by high ice cliffs or icebergs that help to give a little shelter from the winds. Eggs are laid in May and June, they are the smallest egg relative to body size of any bird, being around 0.4kg (1.1lb) just under 1.5% of the mass of an adult bird. At this point, the males take charge of the egg. No nest is built and the egg is incubated on the feet of the parents, a special fold of abdominal skin covers the egg to keep it warm. The mother penguins then set off back to sea and do not return for nearly four months. The male Emperors with their valuable eggs sit huddled together on the ice throughout the dark weeks and months of the Antarctic night.

The average temperature is around -20°C (-4°F) going down to -50°C (- 58°F) and with winds that gust up to 200km per hour (124mph). The males do not eat at all throughout this time, but just sit and wait and protect their egg, (later the chick) until their mate comes back to relieve them. Very few people have seen an emperor penguin huddle in the winter in a savage place where ice and cold are king and the penguins spend their days in silence. The only events are changing position in the huddle (see below) and the immense spectacle of the ghostly red, violet and green of the southern lights or Aurora Australis playing in the dark skies above their heads. Emperor Penguins, Family, Antarctica - buy Males can be sat incubating and waiting for over 120 days (average 115), during this time they will lose about 40% of their body weight.

They use less energy when asleep which they do so as long as possible, it is not unusual for emperor penguins to sleep for 20 or more hours a day under these conditions - even up to 24 hours a day, to conserve their food supplies and increase their and their chick's chances of survival. They survive by huddling together for warmth, very unusual behaviour for adults of other penguin species which are usually aggressively territorial. They also take it in turns to occupy the coldest most exposed outside positions. Without this huddling behaviour, they would unable to endure the combined conditions of fasting, bitter cold and hurricane force winds and would not be able to live and breed in the way they do. Even though they are close together during these huddles, they have been recently shown to be not quite touching. if they touched and squashed the puffed out feathers down it would reduce the insulating value and make them colder, so they really fine-tune the process. It's not all altruistic behaviour though, and taking it in turns. The ones that have been on the outside on the windward side wander off to the leeward side when they've had enough so exposing the next "layer" of penguins.

The whole huddle can wander over quite an area in this way in very cold and/or windy conditions. How do the parents ensure that the chick survives when born on the open sea ice? As the chicks grow older and get larger, they become able to regulate their own temperature in milder conditions, so they don't need the protection of the brood patch. They form creches and will huddle as the parents do if the weather worsens. Eventually, the female returns across the sea ice. This usually coincides with the hatching of the chick. Sometimes the chick will hatch before the female returns, if this happens, it will be fed with a secretion of protein and fat produced by the male from its oesophagus a sort of penguin "milk". The pair locate each other by calling repeatedly, eventually recognizing each others voice, and the male passes the chick over (sometimes reluctantly and after much persuasion) onto the feet of the female. A chick left alone on the ice at this time has a survival time of only around two minutes. The males are then able to go off to sea to feed and build up their strength and fitness again. This journey alone can take several days across the ice.

Emperor penguins have been known to walk 280km to reach the sea. At this point, the chick is reared in the conventional penguin manner, with the parents taking it in turns to feed and look after the chick until they are large enough to leave. When they are older and larger, the chicks huddle together in creches for warmth and protection while both parents are able to go off to collect food at the same time to provide for the ever increasing needs of the growing chick. Chick survival has a lot to do with how the ice breaks up and so how easy it is for parents to reach the sea. If the parents have to travel long distances, many chicks will die of starvation. If the ice edge remains close, then the parents will be able to provide more food and the chicks stand a better chance of survival. The colonies begin to disperse as the sea ice begins to break up in December and January, the chicks are then able to fend for themselves leaving the adults to moult their feathers (a time when they need to stay out of the water) and so are not able to feed. Why do emperor penguins breed in such severe conditions?

Despite the way it seems, this breeding strategy of the emperor penguin does make sense. Emperors are large birds, twice the weight of the next biggest penguin, the king, and so are able to survive the winter fast and the extreme cold temperatures endured at this time . The chicks are very large too compared to other penguin species, if they were reared in the summer, they would have to be left to fend for themselves at a time of the year when food supply is reducing. As the chicks food requirement is very high, this would cause major problems. With this breeding strategy, the penguin chicks become independent during the height of the summer food supply and so are able to survive better. Emperor penguins are able to raise a chick each year by this strategy, though the rigorous conditions of life in the deep south mean that only 19% of chicks will survive their first year. King penguins on the other hand can expect an 80% first year survival rate, though their breeding strategy means that they rear 2 chicks every 3 years and the requirement for open water year-round restricts their range to sub-Antarctic islands.

Emperors are preyed upon by Killer Whales, Leopard Seals, and the Giant Petrel. The most dangerous predator is the Leopard Seal that can eat about 15 penguins a day though they usually only catch the weak or the very sick. Healthy penguins can usually out-swim a Leopard Seal. There were estimated to be around 238,000 breeding pairs of emperor penguins in the world in 2009. Taking into consideration the non-breeder ratio as well this translates into about 595,000 adult birds. Emperor penguins reach breeding age at 4 years and can live to be 20. Pictures used courtesy of Warner Brothers or NOAA

Question: Which is the largest member of the penguin family
Answer: Emperor penguin